SW: Wrap-up, one last recipe, and time to link up!

Hi Friends!

Hold those tears! I know we're coming to the close of this year's soup week, but it's okay! For one, there are all sorts of yummy recipes from this year to try out:

• Lasagna Soup
• Caramelized Shallot Soup
• Loaded Potato Soup
• Minestrone AND Focaccia
• Chickpea Curry Flamingo Soup

Plus, there are all sorts of recipes from the last two Soup Weeks in case you need more ideas.

For today's soup post, I had grand ideas to introduce you to my Chicken Enchilada soup. I really did. But when I made it earlier this week, well, friends, it was nasty. (I'm not joking. It really was. I HATE throwing away food, but I seriously threw away the entire pot because I couldn't stand the idea of anyone actually eating it.) So, I'll instead link up to another recipe for chicken enchilada soup, and when/if I get up enough courage to try again, I'll post the recipe. 

When I first started mulling over ideas for my personal theme for this year's soup week, one of the earliest ideas I stumbled on was converting my chicken enchiladas into soup form. Fun, right? Then, when I happened to be looking through dinner recipes for ideas, I discovered someone else had already made one. Dude! Never fear, the version I made uses a much different ingredient list, and this one looks tasty. I make my own enchilada sauce, so I have an aversion to using a canned version, but that shouldn't stop you, unless you have similar qualms. 

And, if you have a soup you'd like to share with the class--no really, it would be awesome--please link up! Super fun, right? Right.

SW: Chickpea Curry Flamingo Soup (Guest Post)

There are days when I truly believe I am friends with the coolest kids on the planet. Case in point: my friend, S. Don't believe me? Read this post, and you'll be changing your mind! (Oh, and S blogs at Saturday Sequins, which is a lovely blog containing all sorts of pictures of pretty sparkly things. Go there. Go there now!)

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Chickpea Curry Flamingo Soup

This started out as a regular old soup recipe. However! Since this is Audrey's blog, I decided to make it extra special and pink. So I wondered ... what's bright pink and goes with soup? And the answer came to me. A whole, live flamingo, of course!

(Really, I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner.)

Ingredients:

1 medium-size Phoenicopterus ruber

1 can chickpeas

2 sticks celery

5 cherry tomatoes

5 baby carrots

One ½-inch thick slice onion

1 cup veggie broth (or water)

1 handful fresh spinach

1 TBS olive oil

A light sprinkling of mixed dried Italian herbs

About ½ tsp Curry powder

Instructions:

Gently introduce the idea of soup to the flamingo. Explain that he's a garnish, not a dinner guest.

Chase the flamingo around and around your kitchen table in your sock feet, slipping comically on the tile floor and landing on your face. Curse as you feel itty bitty birdie feet on your back – this is the flamingo dancing the Victory Jig.

Leave the flamingo for now. Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until completely smooth.

Transfer the liquid into a sauce pan and cook on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until thick. At this point, if the soup isn't completely smooth, let it cool and return it to the blender.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Decide that honestly, the soup looks pretty darn tasty, even without the flamingo garnish.

Invite the flamingo to dinner. He's worked up quite an appetite with all the dancing, so he'll accept. Please note that flamingos can't hold spoons – it helps to have a straw on hand. Also note that if you turn your back for even a second, the flamingo will slurp up all of your soup, and you'll be back at square one.

Finally, note that if you leave out the curry powder, this also makes a great vegetarian gravy.

Serves: One hungry flamingo.

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Dude! I am SO making this. Come back later today for a Soup Week wrap-up post and my linky party! :)

SW: Minestrone & Focaccia (Guest Post!)

Dudes! I know you're going to read this and say, "Audrey, how is it possible that you love us oh-so much? You got your friend John to come back and share MORE recipes with us! You are a magical, lovely human being that deserves to be crowned and fattened up with red velvet cake." 

Well, if you insist! I do love me some red velvet....

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Marvelous Minestrone
It's great to be back for my third Soup Week guest appearance! My soup last year focused on one particular vegetable, and a very small number of ingredients. This year we'll clean out the fridge and/or the pantry and make a soup that can contain quite a few ingredients: minestrone. This is a great slow cooker recipe to start mid-afternoon on a weekend, but can also be made in a stockpot in an hour or so.

Minestrone is a classic Italian peasant soup from the "cucina povera" ("kitchen of the poor") tradition. Minestrone is a class of Italian soup that is thick and hearty, more like a stew than a thinner vegetable zuppa. So while I'll be showing you a typical tomato-centric version, the essence of minestrone really is that it is made from whatever you have on hand, and whatever is in season. There are no rules, just an infinite variety of soups!

Ingredients

• 1 small onion (or half a larger one), diced
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 1 28 oz can of crushed, diced, or whole tomatoes
• 32 oz broth (vegetable, chicken, or beef); or use bouillon cubes
• 8 oz water
• 15 oz white beans (cannelini, navy, etc.)
• 15 oz chickpeas
• pasta, about 1/2 lb
• sea salt
• black pepper
• dried herbs (basil, oregano, chives, parsley)
• olive oil

Procedure

1. If you're using dried beans, you'll need to plan ahead and soak them overnight or par-boil them.
2. Dice the onion and carrots.
3. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in your stockpot (or a saute pan, if making the soup in a slow cooker).
4. Saute the onion and carrots until they soften and the onions just begin to caramelize.
5. Add the tomatoes, broth, and water to the stockpot. (Chop or crush the tomatoes first if you're using whole ones.)
6. Add the beans, onions, carrots, herbs, and pepper, and heat to boiling.
7. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour.
8. Add the pasta (or rice, if using) about 20 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
9. Season with salt when fully cooked.

Substitutions/Additions

• Pasta: use whatever you prefer, but especially those remnants in your pantry that are just not enough for a regular meal. Keep in mind that certain types and shapes retain their structural integrity better than others, especially if you have leftovers to save. I typically use orecchiette (which are thick and somewhat shell-shaped), and a handful of large (aka "Israeli") couscous.
• Meat: The version above is meatless, but you can add some cooked sausage, diced chicken, turkey, ham, lamb, or duck.
• What else is available locally at this time of year that you could use? Try some potatoes or rice instead of pasta, leeks (not too much, to keep the flavor from overwhelming), a little shredded kale or spinach, peas, or any root vegetables or squash that would complement your other ingredients. Celery makes a frequent appearance in minestrone recipes, but is not essential if you don't already have some (although it's a great way to use it up if you do).

Bread
As the personal baker to The Audrey, I of course also have an easy bread recipe to accompany this and other soups. The dough can be used for a variety of breads (baguettes, boules, even pizza), but we'll focus here on focaccia, since it is easiest for those new to breadmaking, and requires no specialized kitchen gear. It does require a few words, though, if you've never made bread before. If you have, skip to the Procedure section.

Focaccia is a rustic Italian flatbread whose name comes from the Latin focus, or hearth. The oven was the center of the house or the village, and bread was central to the diet, baked fresh daily. Like minestrone, there are endless ways to make focaccia, but what I describe here is a simplified approach.

Slight digression: One of the key ideas of modern artisan bread (otherwise known as "bread" or "real bread") is a long, slow fermentation of the dough, to allow the biochemical reaction of the yeast to consume the sugars in the flour and release more flavor. Factory bread is typically mixed and immediately extruded through a machine, which is (partly) why it's like eating pillow stuffing. The good news is that we can quickly reanimate those hardworking little dried yeasts and then leave them alone to "git 'er done!" while we do other things. This means we can have great bread with very little actual effort, with the only drawback being that we have to plan ahead a little. At least a day. (See "Timing", below.)

Ingredients

(makes two large focaccia or other breads)
• 20 oz (about 4 cups) bread flour (also called "high-gluten" or "strong" flour); or substitute all-purpose. You can also substitute in 10-20% whole wheat flour if you'd like.
• 1 tsp dry yeast
• 1.5 tsp salt (you can use a little less if you'd like, since you'll be sprinkling some on top)
• 14 oz Water
• Olive oil

Procedure

Dough-making Day
1. Whisk the flour, yeast, and salt together in a large mixing bowl (one that's about four times the size of the flour; if you have one with a lid that's best).
2. Add the water, and mix with a large, strong spoon (wooden spoons are good) until the dough forms a stiff ragged ball. Use the spoon in more of a chopping motion as needed to combine remaining dry flour.
3. Let the dough sit for about 5 minutes so the flour absorbs ("autolyses") the water.
4. Wet your hands and use them to continue to mix the dough in the bowl until it becomes a smooth ball and all of the flour in the bowl has been incorporated (about 3-5 minutes). Avoid stretching the dough, just squeeze it and fold it and generally move it around ("knead it"). Stretching the dough causes it to become more difficult to work. Note that the dough will be very very sticky -- this is what you want, really! Do not add more flour!
5. Once you have a smooth ball of dough, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a lid (such as a plate, or, like I do, a stretchy shower cap!) and put it in the refrigerator.

Bread-making Day
1. Remove the dough from the refrigerator about 2 hours before baking.
2. Oil a large (~16x12) sheet pan (with sides) or 9x13 glass baking dish.
3. Divide the dough in half, and on a large plate or cutting board, re-form the dough into a ball by lightly pulling out and folding in the dough from opposite sides, until it has firmed up.
4. Place the dough ball in the center of the baking pan and begin to flatten it out toward the sides. You'll have to stop and let the dough relax for a minute a few times. You eventually want to end up with a uniformly-thick piece of dough that fills the pan.
5. Drizzle a tablespoon or two of olive oil over the surface of the dough, spread it evenly with your fingers, and then use your fingertips to dimple the dough all over. This will keep it from rising too much as it bakes.
6. Cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let the dough rise undisturbed for about an hour. (Note: this would be a great time to start making some soup!)
7. If not making two focaccia, return the other half of the dough to the bowl, cover, and return to the refrigerator. It will be good for up to about 5 days. If you have leftover soup, make another focaccia, or try making a pizza, a couple of baguettes, or a large loaf of Italian bread.
8. After the dough has risen for an hour, set a shelf in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400F.
9. Sprinkle sea salt over the top of the dough.
10. Bake for approx. 15-25 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. Cool in pan for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Variations

• Add some dried rosemary to the dough when you are shaping it. So tasty!
• You can add toppings of various kinds: herbs, tomatoes, olives, etc. Timing Let's say you're reading this on Thursday, when it's published, and you want to have some nice warm focaccia with minestrone on Saturday or Sunday. A timeline could be: mix the dough today or tomorrow, and let it ferment in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Take it out a couple of hours before you begin making the soup and let it warm up. Follow the timing above from there.
•  If this is all too much for you, you might consider trying my cornbread recipe from last year's Soup Week. It's in the same spirit of improvisation as the minestrone soup, and you can use some polenta if you want to be all Italian and stuff.

Enjoy!

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John isn't lying. He really is my personal baker. The best part of this arrangement is that he brings me delicious baked goods because he is nice. I bring very little to the table except my delightful wit and pink hair. (Occasionally I bring my own baked goods or enchiladas.) Dudes. I strongly suggest becoming friends with a baker. They will make you yummy things if you are nice.

SW: Loaded Potato Soup

Ready for round two? You know I am!

How 'bout a loaded potato soup? OMG rawr. So good.

 
I mostly followed this recipe
4 hearty servings; 6 not as hearty

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 rib celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 12 oz. light-bodied beer
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 large russet potatoes, cubed
• 2 cups grated extra-sharp Cheddar

And for the garnish, add sour cream, bacon pieces, chives, more cheese, whatever makes your heart happy, etc.

The Cooking and the Assembly

1. With soup pan at the ready, melt butter over medium heat, then toss in the onion, celery and garlic and let cook until translucent. Add your flour slowly and cook for another couple of minutes. 
2. I added my beer first and gave it a minute or so to chill out, then added the stock and the cream. Add potatoes and bring the entire thing to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 20-30 minutes. 
3. Using a spatula or spoon of some variety, smoosh the potatoes until the soup is to your liking. (I left some potato chunks in mine.) Return the soup to low heat and add a handful of cheese. Stir your soup until it's smooth, then repeat.
4. Salt and pepper to taste, plate, then garnish. Enjoy!

Notes

I do not have an immersion blender. The original recipe called for the use of an immersion blender before the cheese was added, but my potatoes and contents were soft enough that a little arm power took care of it. If you have an immersion blender and you prefer a smoother end product, definitely utilize it. 

Yum yum yum....

SW: Caramelized Shallot Soup (Guest Post!)

Friends, Audrey here. The post that is about to follow is full of silliness AND tasty soup. (Perhaps my new favorite kind of post?) Unfortunately, I cannot take credit for the tasty soup OR the silliness. My friend D is today's guest blogger, and you can find more of his work at Twenty-Fingered Cooking, where he blogs with his lovely wife K. You can also find a copy of his Chicken Tortilla Soup, which is one of my absolute faves. And be sure to check out D&K's recipe from last year's SW!


Caramelized Shallot Soup (or How Captain Soup-Man Saved the Day!)

So, uh, I made this soup about two months ago and have been patiently awaiting Soup Week so that I could share it all with you. I totally just didn’t forget to write about it for two months and then “conveniently” remember when Audrey started posting her Soup Week things. Nope. Not me.

I’ve always loved French Onion Soup – mmm, delicious cheese, crunchy-soft croutons, and yummy beef broth and other liquidy things¹. It’s like a little drink of heaven. So when we found a recipe for Caramelized Shallot Soup in one of Martha Stewart’s magazines, I decided to temporarily set aside my disdain for all things Martha and give it a slurp².

So as anybody knows, to make a good French Onion soup, you absolutely must use the best Gruyère cheese you can find. Fortunately for me, there is an exquisite cheese store with a very opinionated cheesemonger³ less than a mile from my house! So when I realized halfway through the making of this recipe that our fridge did not currently possess any Gruyère cheese, I put on my awesome superhero cape⁴ and dashed out the door, shouting to my beautiful wife K, “Hold down the fort and stir all the soup, honey! I’m off to get CHEEEESE!”

When I arrived at the cheese store, I walked confidently in with my spandex and cape, and had the following conversation with the cheesemonger:

Me⁵: “I’d like about 4 ounces of Gruyère, please.”
Cheesemonger⁵: “What are you going to do with that… cheese?”
Me⁵: “I’m making a carmelized shallot soup. It’s sort of like French onion soup, except with shallots in place of the onions.”
Cheesemonger⁵: “Oooh la la! That sounds amazing! I can just picture it now. The shallots will give it such a different flavor than the onions! More garlicky. And it’s the perfect day for it. And the beef broth… you are using beef broth, aren’t you?”
Me⁶: “Of course, evil cheesemonger! What kind of fowl chef² do you think I am? A chicken-broth user?”
Cheesemonger⁶ (cowering): “No! Never! I never said that! Please, just take your cheese and go!”
Me⁶: “I thought so. Thanks for the cheese, cheesemonger. Until next time.”
Cheesemonger⁶: “I’ll be ready, soup-man. MUA-HA-HA-HAAA.”

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Footnotes:
1. So far everything in this post has been a fabrication. I’m not sure if the trend will continue, but odds are not good.
2. Lousy pun not intended (see footnote 1)
3. I always feel like I should follow up cheesemonger with an evil laugh. A sort of “MUA-HA-HA-HAAA!” kind of thing. I can totally picture the next Pixar movie about an evil cheesemonger villain who’s going to take all the world’s cheese and, I dunno, build a rocket to the moon with it or something. Actually, wait. Has that idea been taken yet? Can I patent it?
4. I may not actually own a superhero cape. But really? What kind of story would it be without details like that?
5. Actual line of dialog
6. Not actual line of dialog

Then I dashed home with my Gruyère to save the day and make the soup!

Ingredients

• 5 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1.5 pounds shallots, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1.5 tsp coarse sea salt, and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 small red onion
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cups beef broth
• 4 cups chicken broth
• More olive oil
• 1 day-old French baguette, cut into cubes
• more pepper
• 6 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated

(Note that I slightly modified this recipe, because shallots are a pain in the butt to peel, and 2.5 pounds of shallots is a lot of shallots. So I substituted a bit of red onion. Whatevs. Also, the original recipe used chestnuts instead of croutons, but I couldn’t find any at the store, and croutons are fun to make!)

The Cooking and the Assembly

1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add shallots and salt, and sauté, stirring occasionally until tender and caramelized (25-30 minutes).
2. Add the wine and cook until it evaporates.
3. Add the bay leaf, beef broth, and chicken broth, and bring to a boil Reduce heat and simmer until soup is reduced by a third, another 25-30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Meanwhile, heat 2-3 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high; when hot, add in the cubed French bread, making sure to get each coated thoroughly with oil (add more oil if necessary). Sprinkle a generous helping of pepper on them.
5. Continue stirring croutons until crispy (keep a weather eye on them so they don’t burn, though!); remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Mix croutons and Gruyère, and let cool.
6. When soup is ready, ladle into bowls, and add several croutons. Grate some more cheese over the top, and serve.

And so ends my saga. You can thank me once you’ve passed out on your sofa in contentment. Mua-ha-ha-haaa.

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There you have it, ladies and gents. Perhaps this is the new mascot for Soup Week?

SW: Lasagna Soup

 
Welcome to the Third Annual Soup Week! Soup Week is...oh Friends! There just aren't words for how awesome Soup Week is! And I'm really excited about this year's!

My idea was to feature soups made from dishes that aren't normally soups. (Does that even make sense? I have struggled and struggled, but I can't seem to think of a better way to say that.) For example, today's post is Lasagna Soup. Lasagna, at least to my knowledge, is very rarely a soup. But today's recipe shows that it can be, and I'll hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

I bookmarked this recipe almost a year ago, and I'm just now getting around to actually making it. Sounds crazy, right? But I'm glad I waited. (And you should see my bookmarked recipe list. It's crazy insane.) This is the perfect recipe for Nathan and myself because it has lots of man meat (aka, sausage) and the center of it is CHEESE. (OMG. Did you just swoon a little? I know I did.) I didn't make too many changes to the recipe that I found, which is based on a recipe that she found, which may have been based on a recipe from a book or something? Meaning, this recipe has been around the block. But it's tasty. So go! Do your soup thing! Eat some soup to celebrate the greatest week of the year***!

Oh, and did I mention, at the end of soup week, we'll be having a linky party in case you want to make some soup, post a post, and share it with us Soup Week attendees? Because we will. And it will be awesome. So start thinking up what kind of soup you want to feature!
 

I mostly followed this recipe....
4 hearty servings; 6 not as hearty

Ingredients
For the soup: 

• 1 lb. ground sausage
• 1 yellow onion, cut into quarters (you can chop/dice this if you prefer, but I was running low on time, and we're not huge onion lovers)
• 4 minced garlic cloves
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 8 oz. pasta of your choice (I had bowties.)
• salt and pepper to taste

For the cheese center: 

• 8 oz. ricotta--if you can bring this to room temperature first, even better
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

The Cooking and The Assembly

1. Brown sausage in your large soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, then garlic and dry spices. Cook for a minute or so, then add tomato paste and cook another 3-5 minutes. 
2. Add tomatoes and chicken stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 30 minutes. 
3. Since you've got 30 minutes to kill, why not put on another big pot of water to boil and cook your pasta until al dente?
4. While the pasta is cooking, combine the ricotta and parmesan cheese in a small bowl and add a large spoonful of the cheese center to each bowl. 
5. When pasta is cooked and soup has simmered, spoon pasta over cheese center, then ladle soup over that. Cover with additional cheese if you'd like. (You know I will be.)
6. Eat!

Notes

You could very easily cook the pasta in with the soup, but if you plan on having leftovers (like we did) I strongly recommend cooking and storing it separately because left standing in the soup goodness, it will continue to soak up liquid and get kind of soggy. If you're not planning to have leftovers, by all means! Add it into the soup to save on dishes to wash. In that case, you'll add the pasta after it's simmered at least 25 minutes.

Bringing the ricotta to room temperature is a good idea because there's no cooking of the cheese center. Our first excited bites were a little weird because the cheese center was still cold, and the soup was very very hot.

Yum yum, Soup Week! (And it's only just beginning!)

***Soup Week may not, in fact, be the greatest week of the year, but it definitely ranks up there. 

Soup Week Prep: Stock Recipes

Are you ready for Soup Week? Six days!

In the meantime, why not prep and have some stock ready? All of my recipes this year include stock, and maybe some of the guest posters as well.

So, because I'm super generous, I found a couple of awesome links all about making your own stock. (Alright, so credit where credit is due, Aliza had the brilliant idea to talk about stock in advance, and I thought it was brilliant, so here we are.)

Veggie stock from Veganyumyum. Seriously, Veganyumyum is such a terrific blog name, I had to feature it! Also, it goes into an article from Cook's magazine, and I found the results very interesting and thought you might too. I recommend reading through this article, even if you're more of a chicken stock kind of person. I want to hunt down the original Cook's magazine article, but even without having read it, I'm pretty sure I always want to make my own stock from now on.

Chicken stock from Michael Ruhlman. I read The Elements of Cooking by Ruhlman quite some time ago, and it's absolutely fantastic. He talks quite a bit about stock in the book, but here's an easy recipe.

In Ruhlman's article, he also talks quite a bit about bacteria and the safety of leaving your stock on your stovetop for a week, and if that sort of thing grosses you out, how about this chicken stock recipe from Gordon Ramsay?

If those recipes still aren't enough, there are about a quatrillionbillion other recipes on the internet. I leave you to it, Friends. Remember! Come back Monday for the Soup Week opener! Not to toot my own horn, but it's pretty amazing!

soup week is coming!

<a href="http://pinkaudrey.blogspot.com/p/soup-week_28.html" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0EtGBs2atBbfbVarzHEOY1Irh1VuxDBkGcXS0hvaUsHvg4A1sPG0jIUZVM-vbPr8bh_HT-6HrZ4nlKw8SvcT113H8ErjZw3o2-eE2CVZQuT5fIn2r1QAOSoSEDhgXF8wPUmpD8TQvmpTl/s1600/+banner.jpg" width="150" height="150" alt="Hot Pink Mama" /></a>

The third annual Soup Week is coming soon.....

Can I get a woop woop? 

i thought this day would never come.

When spring came, even the false spring, there were no problems except where to be happiest. The only thing that could spoil a day was people and if you would keep from making engagements, each day had no limits. People were always the limiters of happiness except for the very few that were as good as spring itself.

That's the opening paragraph from "A False Spring" from Hemingway's A Moveable Feast. Friends, do you know how much it hurts me to say that I not only read this book, but I maybe even kind of liked certain parts of it? I do NOT like Hemingway. At all. But maybe a little bit in this book. He didn't feel like the pompous jerky-jerk I got from his other work. He felt okay, and sometimes we even agreed on certain things, and that really amazed me. (And yes, this is that book I was reading that I kept quiet about. Don't you understand now?)

My favorite story from the collection is "Birth of a New School" where Hemingway essentially verbally beats down this guy who interrupts his writing. Leave it to me to enjoy that piece the most, but I thought it was hilarious.

I'd say more, but this is Hemingway we're talking about, and I already feel slimy admitting that I might have maybe kind of sort of been a LITTLE wrong about the worth of all of his writing. This collection was okay. And that's it! Also, I'm thankful my friend Lisa convinced me to read it. It really is different from his other writing.

Now, I'm off to start Firelight by Sophie Jordan and Pastwatch by Orson Scott Card.

conquering my addiction.

Friends, I've done my best to conquer my addiction.

I've practiced strict, cold turkey regiments. I've practiced stepping stone elimination processes to reduce withdrawal, and I have done my best to just not think about that aching feeling inside of me, demanding to be filled by books.

But I think I really do have a problem.

That's the first step, right? But I'm not actually sure I want to recover, though I may rethink that statement the next time we move.

I visited the library this weekend, and oh my awesomeness. They had a library sale. We're talking BRAND NEW hardbacks here, peeps, for amazing prices. I know I know I know that I said I wasn't buying books this summer so that I wouldn't have to lug them home, but dudes, how could I pass them up? Here's my loot:

Sure, I already have a copy of Guernsey, but since I have read that book about eight times, I decided that I needed a copy in hardcover. I also picked up an Elizabeth Peters novel--don't judge!--and a Geraldine Brooks book which I started but had to return to the library before I finished, and a copy of The Three Musketeers so that I can return the copy I've been borrowing from K for the past kajillion years. :) Oh! And an Arthur Conan Doyle collection. Volume 2! Woot!

Did I mention that I paid $5 for these bad boys? That's $5 TOTAL, not $5 each. (Fist pump!) And do you see my kid's hands going for my books? BAD! No! Those are PRISTINE hardbacks. Leave them alone! Well, the Everyman's Library isn't pristine, but the pages are so lush and fantastic.

Now, down to business. What have I been reading? I finished Ex Libris, but you already knew that. I finished The Statistical Probabilities of Falling in Love, which should have been on the list, but wasn't. (And it's a YA title, meaning I've found a way to check them out, even if I can't peruse the shelves!) I'm moving through Pilgrim and Elantris, and I just picked up Finnikin and Here Lies. When it rains, it pours, right? (Those are mostly abbreviated titles, BTW, because I'm too lazy to type out the full thing. You'll forgive me because you always do. Thanks for that!)

Back in the Saddle Again....

Okay. I might be settled in. Almost. I've figured out the library (grumble grumble) and actually found some of the books from my list, so hopefully I'll make up some time by flying through the titles. Here we go:

• Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard
• Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
• The Night Circus by Erin Morgernstern
• Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman
• The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan [Realized I've tried to read this before and just don't want to try again right now.]
• Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
• Hood by Stephen Lawhead
• Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
• Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
• Legend by Marie Lu
• Firelight by Sophie Jordan
• Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta
• Pastwatch by Orson Scott Card
• Here Lies the Librarian by Richard Peck
• The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

I finished Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman this afternoon. Dude, this was an awesome book. The essays were short and sweet and had meat to them, but at the same time, they were easy and fun to read--thank you, Anne Fadiman. I can't settle on a favorite essay, I just can't. As I'm trucking through this beauty, I kept thinking to myself, why don't I read some of these authors? Why don't I read Proust? I could read Proust! (Oh yeah. Um, I don't wanna.)

Now, off to finish The Night Circus, which I'm still nervous about, and start Elantris. Busy bee, I shall be!

Summer Reading List 2012

The list is far from final, but here is what I have so far:

• Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard
• Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
• The Night Circus by Erin Morgernstern
• Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman
• The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
• Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
• Hood by Stephen Lawhead
• Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
• Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
• Legend by Marie Lu
• Firelight by Sophie Jordan
• Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta
• Pastwatch by Orson Scott Card
• Here Lies the Librarian by Richard Peck
• The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

It's on the shorter side, that's for sure, and these are not in order. Book completion will be based on a number of things, such as library availability, Audrey's mood, time of day, etc. I may try and tack on some of last year's books that I couldn't find copies of. And like last year, the plan is to share some of my thoughts with you as I finish the books. Fun, right?

To the many people who have suggested I read The Hunger Games: I'm sorry, I can't. I understand it is supposedly fantastic. Know that my resistance to reading them is not the same as my reasons for not reading Twilight. I honestly don't think I can handle the subject matter. Also, someone told me a major spoiler from the final book, and that pretty much killed it for me.

I hope to start Bitterblue today, but I've been trying since Friday, so we'll see.

polka dot attack pinwheel!

I've noticed this trend for some quilters to name their quilts. They always seem to have serious names, like Serenity or Still Waters or even formal names like Isabella. I mean, that's nice and all, but I'm thinking, if I ever were to name my quilt, I would want the name to jump out and attack you. (Rather like my quilts, I suppose.) So, I humbly present the almost finished quilt top for Polka Dot Attack Pinwheel!

Yes, the exclamation point is a mandatory portion of the name. And as always, if I ever did gift this to a baby, it would be more of a "stimulating" quilt than a relaxing slumber quilt.

I still need to add the border, but I'm officially in love. I like to think that when this quilt is finished, and I'm snuggling in it, if anyone tries to mess with me, I can sic my attack pinwheels on them. Smart idea, right? Attractive, AND functional. Sometimes my brilliance startles even me.

Most importantly, there are FIFTEEN sets of four corners where the blocks come together. FIFTEEN. And would you like to know something that I am especially proud of? ALL FIFTEEN of those corners are perfection. I spent plenty of time pinning those puppies into place with not one, not two, but THREE pins each, then meticulously sewed just over that intersection, before examining it to make sure it was perfect, and was all ready to bust out my seam ripper if it wasn't. But apparently three is the magic number because when I carefully examined each set of corners, expecting mistakes and an utter lack of perfection, in its stead was a perfect meeting of the four. That was pure bliss, folks.

I also spent last night cutting fabric and prepping squares for more HSTs. Surprising to me, the design for my glider pillow will feature eight of them. (I figure, for as good of enemies as we are, why work with them when I don't have to?) But it's good practice, and I am determined they will meet up too. And I will rip them apart and re-sew until they do. I need to figure out if I want to use plain black fabric for the envelope closure or go with something else. The decisions, people! And yes, I think I've officially decided to set the other project that I hate (for now) aside. I think this is a healthy decision.

Now please excuse me while I try to educate Banzo on why it's not cool to throw an ice cream scooper around the house.

quilt #2. final.

My friend called me this morning to let me know she'd received her quilt. I knew by the sound of her voice, but I needed verbal confirmation, so I asked the dreaded question, "Did you like it?"

And, she did! In fact, she loved it! (Fist pump!)

 
And so did my son, so I felt really bad about tugging it out from underneath him and mailing it off. But he'll get over it. I think he was simply excited that I finally let him touch it since I'd been kind of freaky and refused to let his germy sticky hands touch the fabric at all during the process because, well, the main fabric has a white background and I didn't need granola bar smears marring the perfection of it!

Chain-piecing.

Finished blocks

Vertical sashing sewed on, horizontal sashing pinned in place.

Waiting for a border

12"x12" matching pillowcase

Super fierce backing fabric and my signature

Monkeys sliding down rainbows=My favorite part of the fabric

 

The finished product

A few more notes: I still haven't found a way I want to sign my name, so a heart and the letter "A" will have to do for now. Because my batting had an allowance of 2"-4", I quilted a square within the white square (I think 1.5" in?) and also quilted both around the entire block and just inside the white square, about 1/8" away from the seam. I used white thread on the white square quilting and lime green thread on the outside portion, meaning the quilting showed up nice and bright against the turquoise of the backing fabric. I think it looked awesome, but it is my quilt, so take that with a grain of salt. I couldn't get a good photo of it inside my house (stupid lack of natural light!) so I slung it over the fence and shot a few photos before running from the cold. I'd like to say this is why it's not centered and hanging crooked in the photo, but that's probably because I didn't notice.

I really really really enjoyed making this quilt, and I was sad to part with it, but since its final home is with a super cool friend and her super cool baby, I suppose I'll sacrifice.

quilt #3.

Saturday was fabric shopping day, and it was a DOOZY of a fabric shopping day. As always, the lovely K was invaluable, and while I did make some changes to the idea in my head that I had for quilt #3, there weren't as many changes as I thought there might be. And in fact, I'm so excited about these changes that I think it's going to be a super more awesomer quilt.

And since this quilt isn't a secret, would you like to see my fabric? Of course you would! Here, in all their glory, the SEVENTEEN different types of fabric:

(Yes, that's my favorite Paperchase Christmas Tree plate.) 

Yesterday, I spent three (four?) hours soaking them for excess dye, washing, and pressing this stack of fabric. Now, they are all draped over a chair, waiting for me to cut into them. You are probably wondering how all of these fabrics are going to come together, and I'm not going to tell you that. You'll just have to stick around and see. I will tell you that the very bottom fabric (that awesomely fierce white and black print) will be the backing fabric, so don't have a heart attack thinking I'm going to sick this overly stimulating quilt on someone. I read a blog entry recently where a woman used this pale butter yellow to back a quilt, and sure, it was pretty and all, but I kept thinking, a little boring, don't you think? There's a place in this world for pale butter yellow backing fabric, sure, but not in an Audrey quilt. (I reserve the right to change my mind on that at any time.) For now, BAM! Black and white bold designs!

We survived our first no-daddy day, and it went fairly well. The boy is definitely missing his papa, but we're keeping it together. I'm trying not think about how much it would suck if my husband's flight home crashed and I became a widow with two little ones. (Overactive imagination, much?) I've got bread dough rising for raisin bread, and I've got fresh hummus in my fridge and a tasty avocado to finish off. I had NO idea that avocado would be so tasty in quesadillas. The warm tortilla and cheese, mixed with spinach and topped with aforementioned hummus? All made EVEN BETTER with the addition of the smooth sliced avocado? Quesadillas would definitely be my desert island food. Tonight's dinner plans include soba noodles in a peanut sauce with sauteed chicken and veggies. (I heart soba.) Lunch...will probably be a repeat of last night's dinner. I'm craving pumpkin cookies, so I'll probably whip up some of those in the near future. Today is certainly shaping up to be a good food day, but with teams of men with chain saws attacking trees up and down my street, I'm not sure how well Banzo's nap is going to roll. Every time they slug into a tree, he yelps and comes running to sit on my lap.

HST BOM. February.

Oh, half-square triangles. I don't like you. Your points still didn't come together. And I cut you so carefully! I pinned you so delicately! I spent SO MUCH TIME cutting those squares to perfect 3.5" squares and even made sure your hypotenuse was perfectly aligned at a 45 degree angle while I was at it! You and I might never be friends. I'm going to give you this year to grow on me, but if January rolls around and you still aren't behaving, don't expect to be on my invite list for 2013. Just saying.

January

February

To be honest, that second block looks better in the photo than in real life. But I'm trying to be cool with the imperfections and remind myself that this is my quilt, and no one else's will have those same mistakes. It's special. Also, I'm still fairly new to this, so I get a pass for a while longer, right? 

My question: when does that pass expire?

- - - - - - - - -

 

HST BOM. January.

I thought my reading addiction was bad. 5-10 books from the library each week, devouring most of the stack by the next week, and the occasional abuse of the occasional book by chucking it across the room in fury? There are worse addicts, certainly, but my numbers don't look pretty. Thank goodness for the amazing library within walking distance of my casa.

But I've formed another addiction, and it's a doozy! I feel like I've moved from cigarettes to heroin, especially since EVERY NIGHT FOR A WEEK, my dreams have been filled with fabric and quilting patterns. It's sick, folks. Sick. I woke up Saturday and had to run to my computer and dash out a pattern idea I had. Monday, I had dreams about fabric bombs exploding because of course I was a fabric spy because that makes a ton of sense. Last night, I was awake from 2:45-4:15, all because I was thinking about fabric and my latest quilt idea and would I really like it and how would I quilt it and would I really find 17 fabrics that I liked that coordinated. (Yes, 17. Remember? Sick?)

And when I used to spend Banzo's naptime reading or *gasp* writing or maybe even cleaning my house, I now pull out Agatha (I've named my sewing machine Agatha. Have we covered this yet?) and go to town. Or, more likely, I pull out my rotary cutter and fabric and cut into scrap stacks to put together materials for projects so that I can put that sharp bad boy safely away for when my kid wakes up. Last night, 9pm, I'm cutting and sewing squares for half-square triangles, explaining to my husband why making HSTs from squares is better for fabric stability. (That poor, poor man. He does not deserve this torture.) Nathan comes home, and I'm hopped up on pretty new quilts I saw on blogs or progress I made on a project, and if he doesn't properly ooh and ahh, I punch him and threaten not to feed him pout.

I'm even checking out quilting books from the library because combining two addictions sounds healthy, right?

And now, because working on one quilt is so last year, I've decided to start a block of the month challenge featuring my good ol' nemesis, the half square triangle.

 

January was the first block with the final pattern coming in December of this year. Twelve blocks at twelve inches (each) finished, and I'll have a quilt sometime next year. With Lito's arrival looming on the horizon, I'm trying to finish up all of my outstanding projects and start and finish as many new as I possibly can, knowing that it will be difficult to get much sewing in for at least the first few months. (And possibly years, if he's like his big brother, or if taking care of TWO kids demands it.) But this project seemed simple enough. I can do small portions of the blocks over the entire month, or I can even hold off and work on the outstanding blocks later in the summer/fall/winter/next year. The biggest reason for choosing to join this (besides the fun factor) is that I think I'll NEED the creative outlet with a new baby and a toddler.

Good idea, right? Even better, I'm pretty sure I have enough fabric left over from my recent pillowcase project to supply the patterned fabric aspect of the quilt. I'll pick up more background fabric this weekend, and once the whole puppy is complete, I'll pick out border, binding, backing, and sashing fabrics.  And then, the quilt will even match. Speaking of pillowcases, would you like to see the finished product? Of course you would!

I took inspiration from Amy Smart's Chain Linked, which is interesting because she took her inspiration from a pillow. They have a simple envelope enclosure, and I pretty much love them, especially on my black couches. Nathan loves them too because he says they are comfy. (I'm excited to eventually have a quilt that matches!)

And since I finished quilt #2, this Saturday, I'm going fabric shopping (with my friend K, thank goodness) for the next quilt. I don't have anyone in mind for it, but I really liked the pattern and thought it would be fun to put together. This means I'll actually be able to post photos as I go along! I would post photos of quilt #2, but not until it's been received, you know? Especially not this one. I like making this particular friend squirm with excitement and anticipation. Quilt #3 will feature 15-17 different types of fabrics (yowzers!) and a lot a lot a lot of piecing. I'm excited to start! I have a color palette and rough idea in my brain, but we'll see if my brain translates to the actual fabric.

I'll leave you with a rough sketch of the block where I made notes about fabric measurements.

I couldn't find any graph paper, so I made do with the reams of college ruled we still have lying around the house. (I should find some kid and donate those, shouldn't I?) Now, my math isn't always fantastic, so if you see mistakes, I don't care, and you'll get over it.

binding. again.

The time has come for me to once again pick up the needle and get to work hand-sewing. Thankfully, I'm not shrieking in terror this go-around, though there is something still intimidating to seeing those thin strips ready to be attached. I've decided my corners are going to look hot this time, and no one (or bit of fabric) can stop me!

The quilt keeps tossing me around and making me change my mind from the idea in my head. It's a great thing--I like the emerging product better than I like the idea in my head--but sometimes it's frustrating, like when I cut enough black binding to finish off the quilt, then discover that maybe the black looks too stark against the top. Granted, the little over an inch of black that frames it now will be reduced to about 1/4" when the whole thing is said and done, and maybe it'll look fierce, but I worry that I won't know for sure until I finish the hand-sewing, and then, I'm not ripping it out to satisfy anyone. Also, the backing fabric, which I liked and thought was bold and fun and different from the front, but still in a way that coordinated, really needs a black binding to polish it off. My initial thoughts were to go with a green or purple, but when I decided on that backing, it had to be black. Which in the store, seemed like an awesome idea. And now I'm learning that things don't always work out as I plan. That's okay, but I'm hoping everything comes together in the end. Also, is it bad that I'm consoling myself with the knowledge this won't be staying in my home, staring at me?

I had planned to start cutting fabric for my next project earlier this month, and while the fabric has sat washed and pressed for some time, I just haven't mustered up the motivation. I think that's because I'm really hoping to have this quilt done by end of January, and starting another project, even just the fabric cutting, takes away from it.

My next sewing project is much much smaller and won't require any quilting or binding. When looking for fabric for quilt #2, I fell in love with a gray and white print that I tried to convince myself could work as backing, but ultimately came to my senses and picked another fabric instead. Then, when I had to go back to the store to buy an extra bit of fabric since I was THREE INCHES SHY, I couldn't find the gray and white print, and I wanted to weep. But that settled that. I would just have to find another fabric I loved.

When I slipped into the store another time to pick out fabrics for this project, I happened to peek around a corner and look up, and there was the fabric I loved, hidden on a shelf! There were almost tears. And when I discovered it was from Lotta Jansdotter, and she had an entire collection, I decided I loved her a little bit too. I also purchased her choma goldenrod fabric, and a handful of other gray and white fabrics (both print and solid) to cut up for pillowcases for my couch! (I may have "accidentally" purchased too much, just in case I want some later for other projects.) Both prints are large, but they're going into big 14" blocks for the pillows, so I'm hoping that they'll showcase well. If they don't turn out, there will be sniffling.

Speaking of amazing fabric, I kind of also love this collection. But then, how could I not love the work of someone named Tula Pink? Do I see ideas for my next next project emerging? (Alright, hold on there, killer.)

quilt numero dos.

Yesterday, my house was full of quilting and football. You might not think those two go together, but in my casa, they equate to a fantastic day.

Work has begun on quilt #2. Quilt #1 was super fun and awesome, but it was also an exploratory quilt. Would I continue the hobby? Perhaps more importantly, could I even make a quilt? The answer to both questions is yes, but I wasn’t freaking out about achieving perfection because hey! It was only my first quilt. And not that I’m expecting perfection with #2 either, but I’m working more on my skillz.

I chose an “attic window” design with sashing in between the “window panes”. There were many many factors that went into this design decision, including the fact that evil triangles were kept to a minimum, and my friend K promised to show me a handy dandy way of silencing their dastardly voices and keeping them from stretching out. I could sew the quilt more in an assembly line fashion, meaning I could even chain piece if my heart so desired. (At first, I was anti-chain piecing because it was new, and I don't like change, but when I realized how easy it was and how much time it saved, well, I caved.) With my brain becoming more forgetful, and the very real fact that my belly is going to continue expanding for the next three months, it seemed smart to choose simple block construction over trickier work, especially since the distance between me and the sewing machine will grow with my uterus.

And yesterday, while we watched the Taxslayer.com Bowl, then part of the Outback Bowl, then the Rose Bowl, finally topping off our football day with the Fiesta Bowl, I somehow managed to pin, sew, and iron my way through most of my block construction. There is still quite a bit of work to be done before I’m finished piecing it together--blocks need to be finished, sashing fabric needs to be cut and attached, then rows sewn together, THEN the border--but I finished four times the amount of work I was expecting or even hoping to complete. And in record time!

I'm particularly working on making sure my sewing is even and my cuts are lined up perfectly. With one quilt under my belt, I understand the importance of making everything as close to perfect as possible as early on as possible as it only makes things easier. Can we say that together? EASIER. And the end result looks prettier, or so I've been told since I don't have any practical experience in *that* particular arena. 

With both quilts, there was a cringe moment before the rotary cutter actually hit the first piece of fabric. Would the combination of fabrics go together well? Would it lay out the way I saw it in my head? But now that I'm actually sewing this puppy together, I think it's looking great, and I'm excited. I had originally envisioned something else entirely to go around my focal fabric. I was thinking greens in various colors, but when we got to the fabric store and put fabrics side by side, the plan shifted dramatically. The greens have been replaced with other colors, and now that the blocks are coming together, I'm getting impatient to start work on the sashing to see if it looks as smokin' fierce as the blocks do. 

When I mentioned to my friend V the time it takes to put into a quilt, she balked and couldn't understand why anyone would pick up the hobby. And yes, they DO take quite a bit of time, even if it's just a crib size quilt! But I enjoy it all so much. Okay, the binding was not as enjoyable, but it's a part of the process, and it really does make the quilt look so much sharper. And while I enjoy all of the hobbies I've picked up over the years, I may just like it the most!